Artificial target recovery and delivery equipment for use in new shooting game

ABSTRACT

An artificial target recovery and delivery equipment specifically designed and constructed for use in a newly developed shooting game using a light beam gun and artificial inanimate targets in combination. This equipment is primarily designed for the purpose of safely receiving through sufficient cushion effects the artificial targets thrown out into the air by a throwing device or trap, landing after being shot within the shooting yard of a given area, which is usually located indoor, and further efficiently delivering such recovered targets back to a predetermined position. This equipment is essentially of such combination of receiving means and conveying means, where the former is made to provide resilient surfaces so as to absorb the shock of collision of the targets when landing and extend along both the wall and floor of the shooting yard, and the latter is constructed to convey the landed targets back to a predetermined position, thus enabling the targets to be safely recovered for repeatedly using them.

Uite States atet lino et al.

i 1 ARTIFICIAL TARGET RECOVERY AND DELIVERY EQUIPMENT FOR USE IN NEW SHOOTING GAME [75] Inventors: Hideo Iino; Satoru Iizuka, both of Tomobe-machi, Japan [73] Assignees: SKB Arms Company; Comet Corporation, both of Tokyo; Yoshiaki Noguchi, Tokushima-City, Tokushima-Pref., all of, Japan [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 353,633

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 7, 1972 Japan 47-122007 Jan. 19, 1973 Japan 48-07850 Jan. 31. 1973 Japan 48-11906 [52] US. Cl 273/105.6, 273/10l.l, 124/32, 124/34, 273/105.4 [51] Int. Cl F41j 9/16 [58] Field of Search 273/95 R, 102 R, 102.4, 273/103,105.6,105.4,l01.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,363,677 12/1920 Serra 273/102 R 2,986,398 5/1961 Oliver.... 3,006,648 10/1961 Devitt 273/103 Mar. 11, 1975 3,203,698 8/1965 Saunders 273/102.4

3,502,333 3/1970 Fleul'y 273/l05.4

3,510,133 5/1970 Gretzky 273/103 3,652,089 3/1972 OConnor 273/103 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind [57] ABSTRACT An artificial target recovery and delivery equipment specifically designed and constructed for use in a newly developed shooting game using a light beam gun and artificial inanimate targets in combination. This equipment is primarily designed for the purpose of safely receiving through sufficient cushion effects the artificial targets thrown out into the air by a throwing device or trap, landing after being shot within the shooting yard of a given area, which is usually located indoor, and further efficiently delivering such recovered targets back to a predetermined position. This equipment is essentially of such combination of receiving means and conveying means, where the former is made to provide resilient surfaces so as to absorb the shock of collision of the targets when landing and extend along both the wall and floor of the shooting yard, and the latter is constructed to convey the landed targets back to a predetermined position, thus enabling the targets to be safely recovered for repeatedly using them.

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED UAR] I 1975 saw 2 or 4 FIG.

PATENTEBHARI 1 I975 snmaufa I FIG. 5

PATENTEB MARI 1 I975 sum u or 4 ARTIFIQIAL TARGET RECOVERY AND DELIVERY EQUIPMENT FOR USE IN NEW SHOOTING GAME The present invention relates to an art in the field of a target recovery equipment for use in the shooting game characteristic by a light beam gun and artifical inanimate targets, and particularly to a new and useful target recovery and delivery equipment for a specific use in the shooting game apparatus using a light beam gun for shooting against artificial inanimate targets. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a device which is specifically designed and constructed for the purpose of recovering the targets for repeated uses during the shooting game, for use in the new shooting game apparatus using a light beam gun and artificial inanimate targets including a mechanism adapted to cause the target to be deformed to consequently stall and drop safely down to the ground, or to radiate per se, or to emit such as electric or supersonic signals, etc., in response to the light from the light beam gun during the flight thereof.

The conventional clay shooting game is a well known sporting game to contest by the number or the score of hit or dead clay targets (made of clay biscuit in a form of dish) thrown out into the air at various shooting angles according to the style of game, such as skeet shooting or trap shooting, by the target throwing device or trap for shooting with shot guns.

In consideration of the aspects of the conventional clay shooting game, as obviously understood, since the clay targets should be broken upon shooting, there is no necessity to recover the shot-to-broken or dead clay targets any longer. In contrast, when introducing the artificial non-broken and recoverable targets of the abovementioned character and construction into the shooting game, it is essential to consider the recovery of the targets after shooting, irrespective of hitting or missing shots, and furthermore, it is required to deliver the recovered targets back to the shooting position or the like.

The abovementioned features and advantages in the use of a light beam gun and artificial recoverable targets in combination are disclosed in detailed in the copending application Ser. No. 353,796 which is now abandoned.

In consideration of the features and advantages in a unique and useful concept of shooting game using a light beam gun and artificial recoverable targets in combination, the present invention is therefore intended for meeting the necessity to recover and deliver the shot-down or dead targets as well as the missed ones from the positions of dropping back to the shooting position or the like for the convenience of such recovery and delivery operations.

In consideration of the problem and inconveniences in the conventional form of clay shooting game using a real shot gun and case shots of explosive nature which determines the restrictions of the sport, it would be advantageous to provide a new and useful shooting game, in which it is not necessary to handle such dangerous real fire arms, and instead, there is provided a positively safe arms and artificial recoverable targets which are nevertheless compatible with the interest and thrills of real shooting by adaptation of the uniquely artificial effects of all aspects that are inherent in the gun shooting by virtue of the unique effects and function specificto the abovementioned copening application.

This invention is directed essentially to meet such requirements as of recovery and delivery of the artificial recoverable targets after shooting, irrespective of hitting or missing shots, which is indispensable in the practice of the new and useful shooting game by using a light beam gun and artificial recoverable targets in combination as specified above.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful recovery and delivery equipment for use with the new and unique shooting game apparatus using a light beam gun and artificial recoverable targets for the purpose of recovery and delivery of artificial targets after shooting by the light beam gun, irrespective of hitting or missing shots, from positions of landing back to a predetermined position of recovery, that is to say, which equipment primarily comprises a cushioning section and a conveying section, where the artificial targets will at random land onto the ground to cushion out the shock of landing of the targets, therefore, preventing the targets of the abovementioned characters from any damages at the moment of landing. Said conveying section is adapted to pick up and deliver the landed targets from the points of landing toward a predetermined position of recovery, such as the shooting position or the like, thus permitting the landed artificial targets to be safely recovered and efficiently delivered for repeated uses in the shooting game using a light beam gun and artificial targets in combination.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and useful target recovery and delivery equipment for use in the new shooting game, which is in more details constructed with a cushioning floor section and a cushioning wall section, the both of which sections are operatively adapted to cofunction to positively prevent the collision between the targets with each other, some dropping after the collision against the cushioning wall section and other dropping immediately onto the cushioning floor section, thus permitting the landed artificial targets to be safely and efficiently recovered free from the damages of such targets for repeated uses in the new shooting game using light beam gun and artificial targets in combination.

It is a further object ofthis invention to provide a new and useful target recovery and delivery equipment for use in the new and useful shooting game as described above, wherein a cushioning wall section may be constructed in a form of a rotatable endless belt conveyor having an appropriate plurality of ridges on the surface thereof for capturing the flying targets in operative connection, thereby to resiliently receive the targets through the cushion-effects, and therefter to release the targets from such capture at the end portion of the abovementioned endless belt conveyor.

According to this invention, briefly summarized by way of a preferred embodiment thereof, there is provided a new and useful target recovery and delivery equipment of the characters as fully described above for use in the new shooting game as described and disclosed in the copending application as referred to above, which primarily comprises cushioning means and conveying means, wherein the former means is adapted to be appropriately located in the areas where the artificial recoverable targets will at random land onto the cushioning floor member to cushion out the shock of landing of the targets, therefore, preventing the targets from any damages at the moment of landing, and the latter means is adapted to pick up the landed targets through the abovementioned cushioning means and deliver the same from the points of landing toward a predetermined position of recovery, such as the shooting position or the like, thus permitting the landed artificial targets to be safely recovered and efficiently delivered for repeated uses in the new shooting game using a light beam gun and artificial targets in combination.

The nature, principle, and details of the present invention, as well as further objects and advantages thereof, will become more apparent from the following detailed description with respect to a preferred embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, and in which;

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for giving a general idea of the arrangement of a shooting game system including a target recovery and delivery equipment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view similar to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing an instruction device for a target throwing device or trap according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing one form of the target recovery equipment embodying the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing another form of the target recovery and delivery equipment embodying the invention;

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing a further form of the target recovery and delivery equipment embodying the invention;

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are schematic cross-sectional views showing varied forms of the conveying means employable in the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view showing the target recovery equipment having a wall member in the form of an endless belt conveyor according to the invention.

Referring now to the attached drawings, which show for illustrative purpose only but not in any ways for limitations the preferred embodiments of a new and useful target recovery and delivery equipment according to the present invention.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, which are schematic views for giving a general idea of the arrangement of a shooting game system including a target recovery and delivery equipment according to the invention, there is shown a target throwing device or trap a, cushioning means b, shooting stands 0, and conveying means d. There is provided an instruction device at the shooting stands 0 in operative connection with the target throwing device or trap a. Upon instruction at the shooting stands c by each of the shooters in participation, the targets will be thrown out into the air by operative function of the throwing device or trap a. In more details, the instruction device is adapted to convert the voice of each shooter which is caught by microphones provided at the shooting stands to electric signals so as to close a switching circuit, thereby to automatically cause a target to be thrown out into the air. In such arrangement, if the microphones are continuously in operating state, the instructional signals are likely to be put in by the I contingent voices of other than the shooters. Therefore, only upon the completion of preparation in the throwing device or trap a per se and upon turning-on action by the shooter himself, it is operatively arranged that the microphone belonging only to such shooting stand may be operated and that a lamp may be lit to indicate the completion of shooting preparation.

One typical example of such arrangement is shown in FIG. 3. Now referring to FIG. 3, there are shown a switch S1 and another switch S3. The former is adapted to close a circuit for the target throwing device or trap a upon installation of such target in the trap a. and the latter is operative to close the circuit upon stepping down of a pedal 1 by the shooter himself. By closing such switches S1 and S3, there ignites an indicating lamp 2 provided at the target throwing device er trap a so as to indicate the completion of shooting preparation, and through the voice of the shooter caught by the microphone 3, another switch S2 will be caused to close the circuit, thereby to let the target 4 be thrown out into the air. The flying target 4 adapted to fly within a predetermined area by angles a and ,8 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown one example of the target recovery equipment according to the present invention which comprises a cushioning wall member bl, a cushioning floor member b2, and conveying means d. The cushioning wall member bl and the cushioning floor member b2 may preferably be made of air mattress, or products of rubber foam, polyurethane foam, etc. of resilient character. However, they may be of course prepared by using other material than those as mentioned above, such as existing fabric screen or net, canvas sheet, plastic sheet, etc., or the combination thereof. The cushioning wall member bl is provided in a vertically curved or concaved form at the end portions within a range of travelling of the targets 4 thrown by the throwing device a. While, the cushioning floor member b2 is placed at appropriate positions so expected to receive the targets, irrespective of the state of dropping of the targets, some dropping after once colliding against the cushioning wall member b1 and other dropping immediately onto the cushioning floor member b2, and inclined with an appropriate curvature as desired.

There is provided target conveying means din operative positions desired to receive the targets from through the cushioning floor member b2, thereby to deliver the landed targets 4 toward any desired orientation. In FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an appropriate conveyor system e which is operatively connected with the conveying means d, thereby to deliver the targets 4 back to the throwing device or trap a. As for the conveying means d, there may be various forms of arrangements as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. In FIG. 7 there is provided a groove 5a suitable for receiving the targets 4 in a horizontal position at the central portion of the horizontal conveying endless belt 5. In FIG. 8 there is shown another form of the endless belt 6 having a groove 5a to stably hold the target in a vertical position. Further another form of the conveying means is shown in FIG. 9, wherein there is provided a guide member 7 having a guiding groove 7a to let the target 4 revolve by itself due to the gravity and the shape of the groove 7a which is inclined downwardly to the place for recovering the targets 4.

The flying target 4 is constructed, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in a form of convex disc by using the material of plastic resin and incorporates therein photoelectric elements, strobotron or stroboscopic tube, etc. which are described and disclosed in detail in the copending application.

In the abovementioned arrangement of the target throwing device or trap, when there is installed a flying target 4 in position on the throwing device or trap a, the switch S1 is operated to close the circuit to ignite the indicating lamp 2, and upon stepping down the pedal 1 by the shooter, the switch S3 is actuated to close the circuit for the microphone 3 to work, thus the preparation for a shooting is duly completed. When the shooter then puts an acoustic instruction sign at the microphone 3, the voice will be converted to an electric signal which will function the switch S2 to close the circuit so as to cause the target 4 to be thrown out into the air by the throwing device or trap a. At this moment, the shooter will instantaneously shoot the light beam gun at the flying target. The target 4 will, upon the receipt of the light beam gun, illuminate or flash through the function of photoelectric element, thereby to possibly indicate or annunciate the shooter or the game spectators the hitting to the target. It is further possible to arrange appropriate indicating board or some other means operative to indicate such hitting according to necessity. The target 4 will then collide without any damages against the cushioning wall member b1 or the cushioning floor member b2 directly or indirectly according to the conditions of posture of landing thereof, drop onto the surface of the floor cushioning member b2, and be operatively recovered and delivered by the conveying means d immediately or through the abovementioned conveyor system e toward the shooting stand 0 or some other predetermined position of recovery.

In FIG. 5, there is shown another form of the target recovery equipment of the present invention, which primarily comprises a wall cushioning wall member bl, a cushioning floor member b2, and target conveying means (1. Such cushioning members are made of a resilient material such as air mattress, rubber foam, polyurethane foam, etc. The cushioning wall member bl is provided in a vertically curved or concave form at the end portion of the areas over which the targets 4 thrown out by the throwing device a ranges. The cushioning floor member b2 is placed at positions as expected to receive the targets, irrespective of the state of dropping or landing of the targets and provided with openings for passing the target 4 therethrough. Some drop or land after colliding against the cushioning wall member b1 and other drop immediately onto the cushioning floor member b2. There is provided target conveying means d in the position to receive the dropping or landing targets passed through the openings of the cushioning floor member b2, to wit, under said cushioning floor member b2, thereby to deliver the landed targets 4 toward a desired position predetermined for recovery, for example to the target throwing device a.

In FIG. 6, there is shown a further form of the target recovery and delivery equipment of the present invention, which primarily comprises a cushioning wall member hl, a cushioning floor member b2. The material for such cushioning members is preferably resilient one such as air mattress, rubber foam, polyurethane foam, etc. The cushioning floor member b2 may be in such a form of endless belt with an appropriate width enough to cover the required area for receiving the landing targets 4 and having the surface attached with the above-mentioned resilient material. Said endless belt is extended across a driving drum 8 and a driven drum 9. This cushioning floor member b2 is duly located so as to cover the areas over which the flying targets 4 will expectedly range either after the collision against the cushioning wall member bl or immediately dropping or landing thereon. The running or delivering direction of such endless belt or cushioning floor member b2 may selectively be orientated according to the requirements in the location thereof so that it may run in either a traverse direction or a longitudinal direction as viewed in FIG. 6. When the endless belt or cushioning floor member b2 is orientated in the longitudinal direction, though not shown in the drawing, it may be driven directly to a predetermined position of recovery such as the throwing device or trap a. While, it is orientated in the traverse direction, as shown in FIG. 6, it may be driven to the abovementioned position of recovery through another conveying means 10.

FIG. 10 is a side view of one form of the target recovery equipment according to the present invention comprising a wall member which is formed as an endless belt. In the drawing, b, designates an endless belt functioning as a cushioning wall member, b a cushioning floor member and e a conveying means. The endless belt or cushioning wall member b, is formed with a plurality of ridges 11 extending in the lateral direction on the surface thereof. The belt is arranged across a driving wheel 12 and a wheel 13 to be driven so as to be moved in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 10. The ridges 11 of the endless belt are made of air mattress, or products of rubber foam, polyurethane foam, etc. of a resilient character and formed in a shape tapered at their respective tip ends. The cushioning floor member b is made of a material similar to the ridges of the endless belt and is provided under the endless belt in a position where the target will fall directly or after collision with the cushioning wall member 1),. The floor member b is arranged so as to be inclined to the conveying means e with a desirable curvature as shown in the drawing.

The target thrown by the trap a will collide with the ridges ll of the cushioning wall member b and be captured between the ridges 11 and moved downwardly according to the movement of the endless belt to the driving wheel 12 where the space in which the target is held is spread out to release and discharge the target gently onto the conveying means e directly or through the cushioning wall member b,. A target not captured by the ridges 11 is also subjected to a cushioning effect of the wall member b or the ridges l1 and falls onto the cushioning floor member b or the conveying means e. Those targets thus discharged onto the conveying means e are conveyed to a predetermined position of recovery. In addition, though not shown either, there may be another variation of the target recovery and delivery equipment according to this invention, which comprises an air curtain for an operative function of the cushioning wall member b1, thereby to retard the velocity of the flying targets 4 during the flight thereof and to cause the targets to forcibly and effectively land onto the surface of the cushioning floor member b2.

There may be provided a further variation of the target recovery and delivery equipment according to the invention, which comprises a picture projection screen in an appropriate rear position of the abovementioned air curtain, thereby to permit a picture of such as land scape, etc. to be projected on the abovementioned screen so as to provide the shooters and or the game spectators with an atmosphere of more reality and promote the feeling of attendance at the reel shooting site.

Besides, according to a further variation of the target recovery and delivery equipment of the invention, there is provided an endless belt conveyor made of a plurality of cushioning strips for an operative function of the cushioning wall member b1, each having a hook portion for receiving the targets, which endless belt is extended across a driving drum and a driven drum, thereby to receive the landing targets with an appropriate cushion effect by the hook portions. The thus received targets are released at the end portion of the endless belt.

There may be provided another variation of the target recovery and delivery equipment according to the invention, wherein there is provided a cushioning structure using a plurality of threads or cords of the resilient material are suspended in an appropriate thickness, thereby to function as the cushioning wall member of the equipment so as to resiliently cushion and receive the flying targets, and furthermore, to provide a magiclike effect of receiving the targets as if they were vanished out of the sight of the shooters and/or the game spectators.

As has been fully'described in preferred embodiments of the present invention, the objects of the present invention as mentioned can be well achieved by the structure specified in the foregoing description.

It should be understood, as previously indicated herein, that the preferred embodiments as shown herein by way of descriptions and illustrations is not meant for any restrictions of the present invention in any ways, but on the contrary, many changes, variations and modifications of the construction and arrangement in details of the target recovery and delivery equipment of the invention may further be derived by those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, whereby the advantageous characteristics of the present invention may be realized and restored without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth hereunto in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial inanimate target recovery and delivery equipment for use in a shooting game wherein a light beam gun and an artificial inanimate target are employed in combination, which comprises in operative connection a cushioning wall member and a cushioning floor member both of said members being arranged in a concave state viewed from the front side thereof and located in areas over which said artificial inanimate target thrown out by a throwing device ranges, said cushioning wall member being in the form of an endless belt conveyor having a plurality of ridges and adapted to resiliently capture said artificial target, and a conveying means located operatively adjacent to said members, and adapted to receive and deliver said target coming to drop from said members, thereby to convey said target toward a predetermined point of re- 

1. An artificial inanimate target recovery and delivery equipment for use in a shooting game wherein a light beam gun and an artificial inanimate target are employed in combination, which comprises in operative connection a cushioning wall member and a cushioning floor member both of said members being arranged in a concave state viewed from the front side thereof and located in areas over which said artificial inanimate target thrown out by a throwing device ranges, said cushioning wall member being in the form of an endless belt conveyor having a plurality of ridges and adapted to resiliently capture said artificial target, and a conveying means located operatively adjacent to said members, and adapted to receive and deliver said target coming to drop from said members, thereby to convey said target toward a predetermined point of recovery. 